NYSDOT Projects Honored For Engineering Excellence

ALBANY, NY (04/09/2013)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald today announced the receipt of engineering excellence awards for nine projects and a diamond award for an additional project, all from the American Council of Engineering Companies New York State chapter (ACEC NY). An awards ceremony was held on April 6 at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.

"At the State Department of Transportation, we strive for excellence in every infrastructure project we undertake in our mission to enhance safety for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists while being environmental stewards and promoting sustainability," Commissioner McDonald said. "I am proud that so many of our projects have been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies and commend NYSDOT's expert staff who bring projects such as these to fruition."

This is the 46th annual Engineering Excellence Awards, honoring design achievements of superior skill and ingenuity. Judging for the prestigious Diamond Award is based on a project's complexity, future value to the engineering profession, original or innovative application of new or existing technologies, and meeting or exceeding client needs. Projects selected for Engineering Excellence Awards are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, which includes complexity, innovation and value to society.

NYSDOT's joint project with the Vermont Agency of Transportation to replace the Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, Vt. was honored with a Diamond Award. Design for the new $76 million bridge began shortly after the former structure was closed in October 2009. The project required extensive collaboration with environmental, historic and transportation agencies from the federal government and from both states, as well as considerable community outreach and input. In just over two years – November 2011 – the new bridge had been designed, built and opened to traffic, restoring a critical link that connected communities on both sides of Lake Champlain with employment, education and healthcare.

Engineering Excellence Awards recognize the following NYSDOT projects:

• Route 42 Emergency Design Build Restoration: A portion of State Route 42 in Greene County was completely destroyed by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in September of 2011. NYSDOT progressed a $12.5 million emergency project to reconstruct six miles of road and replace two bridges. The road was reopened in February 2012. Under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Executive Order, this was NYSDOT's first design-build project.

• Goodell Creek Stream Mitigation and Restoration: NYSDOT enhanced 1,600 feet of Goodell Creek, located in the Town of Mansfield, Cattaraugus County, to mitigate stream impacts associated with construction of a new section of US Route 219. The project was designed and constructed to enhance the stream's aquatic and riparian habit, improve the stream's connection to its floodplain, stabilize a cattle crossing, stabilize the stream bank at critical locations, control existing invasive plant species, and increase plant diversity and canopy cover. Construction on the $480,000 project occurred in 2011.

• Design and Construction of NYS Route 17 at Parksville: This project in the town of Liberty, Sullivan County, included the construction of 12 new bridges, nearly three miles of new highway and more than 19 miles of pavement rehabilitation. Work done as part of the $95 million project will enable this segment of State Route 17 to be designated as federal Interstate 86. Work began in the spring of 2009 and has been completed.

• Replacement of Roslyn Viaduct (Route 25A) over Hempstead Harbor: This project to replace a half-mile viaduct in Nassau County with a modern bridge improved safety along the main east-west route on the northern shore of Long Island. The $133 million project was completed in 2011.

• Route 25 Reconstruction: This project rehabilitates more than four miles of the Jericho Turnpike (Route 25) and Jamaica Avenue from 225th Street in Queens to Herricks Road in Mineola, Nassau County. Work includes improving intersections, replacing pavement and enhancing pedestrian accommodations, all of which lead to a safer highway with reduced congestion. Construction on the $21.1 million project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

• Robert Moses Causeway Rehabilitation of the Northbound Structure: This $41.3 million project included replacing part of the concrete bridge deck and repairing steel. NYSDOT worked closely with emergency services and residents of the affected barrier island in Suffolk County to notify them in advance of lane closures. Work was completed in 2012.

• Republic Airport Runway 14 Safety Improvements: This project included installation of an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS), which is a safety device installed at the end of a runway to prevent aircraft from overshooting a runway and impacting objects that could cause damage to the aircraft, passengers, and/or people on the ground. The $7.8 million project improved safety at Republic Airport in East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, and was completed in 2011. The project required closing the airport's longest runway, which involved a great degree of coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, their control tower and airport tenants.

• Design of Gowanus Expressway/Interstate 278 Rehabilitation: This project replaced 290,000 square feet of deteriorated concrete deck and widened the Gowanus Viaduct in the area of the Prospect Interchange in Brooklyn. The widening allowed for operational improvements to the inbound Bus/HOV lane during the morning rush hour. Construction on the $141 million bridge project began in 2008 and is nearing completion.

ACEC New York is a proactive coalition of more than 270 consulting engineering firms from across the state representing every discipline of engineering related to the built environment-civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical-and affiliated companies. Their work involves advocating, education, providing networking opportunities and enhancing the image of the industry.

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